Eden

2

Cara.
The girl awoke with a single word in her mind. Her name. She said it aloud just to be sure, mumbling the word as her eyes struggled to open.
"Cara?" Echoed a voice.
The girl squinted up at a bleary shape bent over her that broke the line of sunlight streaming into the cave. Cara shaded her eyes with her arm, still fragile from the dark of the night before.
"Is that your name?" It said. The voice was light and feminine. It soothed Cara awake. The shape stepped back and called out.
"There's another one; a girl!"
Distant footsteps and voices began to approach.
As her eyes adjusted, Cara saw the girl clearer. Her warm brown eyes crinkled as she smiled. She was young, and freckles scattered across her cheeks and arms. Long blonde hair had been pushed back behind her ears. Everything about her seemed sweet and friendly; even her dirt-stained clothes had a warmth to them.

Cara propped herself up. Her lips cracked open as she spoke, welded together from the harsh wind of the night. Her voice came out weak. She wondered how long it had been since she'd used it.
"Where am I?"
Three boys jogged towards them, their clothes considerably muddier than the blonde girl's.
The girl shushed Cara.
"Questions later; you seem weak. How long has it been since you've eaten?"
"I- I can't remember." Cara stuttered.
The blonde girl frowned and nodded solemly.
"Of course you can't, sorry."
Two of the boys took Cara's arms and pulled her up. Her vision circled, and her knees began to buckle as she attempted to step forward. The adrenaline from last night had faded and her muscles were left weary. The boys practically carried her the rest of the way.
As Cara's head began to settle, she turned her attention to her surroundings. The blonde girl danced ahead of them. She was agile and dainty, moving almost soundlessly, and she seemed to walk with a graceful rhythm.

They made their way into a forest, and Cara had never seen anything like it - as far as she knew. Each tree appeared to have two separate trunks; one a dark, rich brown, and the other more of warm ochre. The trunks intertwined, and spiralled upwards into an explosion of long leaves which hung down like streamers in varying shades of vibrant red. Fallen leaves coated the forest floor, blanketing the grass in an ocean of colour.
They passed black-leafed bushes dotted with golden flowers, and thick brambles that slithered across the grass. Fluffy, white seeds hung in the air, floating slowly downwards despite the breeze, catching the sunlight. Cara blinked in awe. The whole forest held an air of wonder and mischief.
After a few minutes, they came to a large clearing which remained mostly shaded by the trees. Large, pointed tents made of branches and cloth surrounded a smoking fire pit, and seemed to lean in towards it as if overhearing a secret. The faint murmur of a river could be heard running nearby.

The boys set Cara down on one of the log benches next to the fire. Her eyes darted around, taking everything in.
"What's your name?" Asked one of the boys. He wasn't the tallest or strongest looking, but he had the most presence. His dark eyes held a confident gaze, and he took a seat on the bench next to her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands together.
"It's Cara."
"I'm Thomas." The boy replied, wiping his hand on his trousers before offering it for Cara to shake. She took it. He had a strong grip for a boy so skinny. Thomas ran his fingers through his mousey brown hair.
"You're lucky to remember your name; Kit never did." He explained, gesturing to the tan boy stood behind Cara. He was shorter, but had more muscle, and he have been of Asian descent.
"They named me Kit because I fix stuff," the boy told her, "like a tool kit." His voice twanged with a friendly sounding accent that Cara didn't recognise.
Cara rubbed her eyes, massaging the last of her headache away. She frowned at Thomas.
"So... have you lost your memory too?"
"We all have." He nodded with a sigh.
"We've all appeared in that cave one by one- just like you, Cara." The blond girl chimed, sitting down beside her.
"You've already met Fleur," Thomas introduced her, "and that's Luke."
Cara turned to look at the boy behind her. He was the tallest and strongest looking, and he stood with his arms crossed. His eyes seemed tired and wise, and they sat smartly between his sharp cheekbones. He looked older than the rest of them. The boy's head was shaved, giving him an intimidating look. Cara blinked up at him nervously.
"Yeah he looks tough but he's a huge softie," Kit laughed, jumping up a little to swing his arm around Luke's neck. Luke broke into a smile, ducking under Kit to lift him off the floor.
"You think you can take me this time?" Luke teased. The two of them began to wrestle each other into the ground, laughing and shouting abuse at one another.

Fleur took Cara's hand, pulling her to her feet.
"We'll leave them to it; this could go on for a while," she giggled, "let's get you something to eat, okay?"
She led Cara towards the biggest tent in the clearing, and Cara felt calm for as long as she could remember.

Sorry, this chapter is a little slow. Action in the next one I promise!! Please give me some reviews. I'm probably going to draw up the forest and a couple of the characters too, and I've yet to describe Cara so any ideas feel free to pitch in!